Should I Care?

A friend asked me yesterday what I thought of the continued Palin bashing. I didn’t know what she was talking about.

You see, from the moment Obama won I haven’t watched one second of news. I just couldn’t bear it. I knew it would depress me. What I didn’t realize that watching other things would depress me too.

Have you seen “The Housewives of Atlanta?” or some such nonsense. It’s like the “Housewives of the O.C.” It follows around a bunch of wealthy women. It proves that money cannot buy class or intelligence. I was horrified that people like this existed. Then there is this show about some skinny horribly dressed freak who, for some reason, is given the task of teaching dweebs how to pick up women. It’s like watching a torture scene.

If it weren’t for Scrubs re-runs and Reno 9-11 I think I may have thrown a brick into the TV.

I’m trying to only listen to the positive, upbeat and funny right now. I listen to “The Walton and Johnson Show” in the morning on the radio. They are naughty and hilarious. They are more libertarian than anything else and I don’t agree with everything they say, but if you are feeling like me and need a good laugh, I would suggest you listen live online here.

Right now I don’t want to care. I want to be one of those women who lose themselves in shopping. I want to care if my nails are done perfectly. I want to be the one who Tivo’s Oprah so I can know what book to read for the year. I want to care who wins Project Runway. I want to want to read People magazine and care whether Brad and Angelina Jolie are happy (gee, I think I just described the “Wives of Atlanta”). I want to be shallow and uniformed. Let’s face it. Life is easier that way. Caring about our country is too hard.

Caring about our country means being horrified that our media became a propaganda machine for Obama this election that would have made the 1980′s Soviet Union proud. It means realizing that this same media can bribe state employees to get any kind of personal information on any of us and display it to the world and no one cares. It means that a Presidential candidate can spend $650 million dollars to get elected with hundreds of millions of those donations completely anonymous and no one sees anything wrong with that. It means that the momentous incredible fact that the surge worked and we decimated Al Qaeda inIraq and are bringing our boys home in victory instead of defeat, isn’t important enough to get a mention in a Presidential election where the media’s preferred candidate was completely wrong about it.

I can’t ignore reality for long, I know. Bill Whittle has a beautiful piece over at Eject! Eject! Eject!. It ends with this:

There is much to do. That a man with such overt Marxist ideas and such a history of association with virulent anti-Americans can be elected President should make it crystal clear to each of us just how far we have let fall the moral tone of this Republic. The great lesson from Ronald Reagan was simply that we can and must gently educate as well as campaign, and explain our ideas with smiles on our faces and real joy in our hearts, for unlike the far-left radical who gained the Presidency on Tuesday, we start with 150 million of the most free and intelligent and hard-working people in the history of the Earth at our backs, with a philosophy that — unlike theirs, which has resulted in 100 million dead in unmarked graves — has liberated and enriched more people and created more joy than any nation or combination of nations in our history.

How can we lose this greater fight, my friends? How can we lose, unless we give up?

45 Responses

I wouldnt give up Sparkle. Just realize that no matter how much you want to blame the media, a dramatic shift like the one that just happened Tuesday could not of happened because of them alone. It happened because the American people were tired of the way things are going and needed a new direction. You might not agree with the new leadership, but remember hes your president too.

*note: I’m pretty sure that the media being in your pocket and $650 million dollars had more to do with it. But, he will be my President too and I will remember that and not lie and smear him like the left did for 8 yrs with Bush. When Obama does something right I will give him credit and not ignore it like the left has with Bush and winning in Iraq. I won’t call him “ObamaHilter” like the left did with Bush. I won’t make pictures of him with monkey ears and face like the left did with Bush. I won’t take his flaws and overexaggerate them over and over again and disrespect the office of the Presidency like the left did with Bush. I will acknowledge what a good man Obama is with his family and how good a father and husband he is like the left NEVER did with Bush. Don’t worry. I won’t be like the left was with Bush, that would bash our President and never understand that he kept us safe after 9-11 like he promised. Obama will be my President and you won’t find me agreeing with enemies about him like the left did with Bush. I can promise you that.-TexasSparkle

What might make it worse for you, Kathleen, is that the Palin-bashing is coming from within the remains of the McCain campaign and dutifully reported by Fox News (Carl Cameron) or that the recess-appointed head of ICE quietly tendered her resignation in the wake of the scandal over illegally leaking to the press information about Obama’s aunt. For every single example of what you may term unethical, biased or illegal on the left it is quite easy to provide a counter-example of activity on the right.

Caring about our country does not mean isolating ourselves to only one version of reality. It means not only recognizing the faults of “the other side” but also that of “our side”. THAT is what the change in American politics is, hopefully, about – a willingness and openness to listen to and HEAR each other. To respect each other when we disagree, not blather about with tired, angry rhetoric such as that offered from Bill Whittle in an endless game of tit for tat.

For anyone who cares about the United States it is never time to “give up”. What needs to be done, in my humble opinion, if for most of us to “grow up”. Our politics is little more than high school-level cliques rumormongering and whining while getting very little done for the future.

For all of Reagan’s geneality, he would not have gotten diddly done without a counter-part like Tip O’Neill. And if we, and I mean “we” as in all of us, do not seize this opportunity to force by our own example of coming together our political leaders to do the same then we deserve to continue our national slide into mediocrity or worse.

You won’t do those types of things but others will, they’ll take up all the slack too. When you post, and many others on this site that are sad that Obama won, you always post in such absolutes. “I won’t call him ‘ObamaHitler’ like the left did with Bush.” Please use “like most” or “like some,” because it’s certainly not all of the left.

Regardless, I think you are handling this pretty well unlike most are who have blogs on this site. Some of the posters leaving comments are being very hateful already. Look, I get it, your guy didn’t win, but isn’t that supposed to be what makes this country so great? We have a choice and that choice was exercised on Tuesday, regardless of what you think caused it to swing that way. The fact is Obama will be in the Whitehouse and we have to live with it, just like we had to live through the second term of Bush. I personally think the alternative of Kerry would have been worse, but in this case I think Obama will be better. I could be wrong, but so could you.

From Bill Whittle: “That a man with such overt Marxist ideas and such a history of association with virulent anti-Americans can be elected President should make it crystal clear to each of us just how far we have let fall the moral tone of this Republic.”

Moral tone? Morals are nothing more than opinions between person to person, each one having a different moral code, and opinions change. That doesn’t mean they’ve fallen, only that people are tired of the moral tone the Republican party is selling at this time. It will swing back that way in the future, it always does.

I would never give up! Keep fighting for what you believe. I think this is exactly what the Republican party needs to get back on track. Hitting rock bottom is not always a bad thing. It gives time for self-evaluation and self improvement. I suspect that the Republican party will rise from the ashes and get back to what made them great. Fiscal conservatism and less government. If you think the party of the last eight years has stood for this you need to do some self-evaluation.

I heard Walton and Johnson mention their appearance here. I love the way they constantly hit upon Barack’s Arab money, he being a “secret Muslim.” I wonder if all the Houstonians who bribed Barack at Becca’s party that night will get what they wanted from him — that’s how bribery and corruption function, you know.

*note: You listen to Walton and Johnson and you read me. I don’t get people like you. If we drive you so crazy why do you come here? Is some evil Republican forcing your eyes open and making you read me, much like Clockwork Orange? I think there must be some part of you that really wants to change and be right. It’s the only explanation…;-) TexasSparkle

Democrat and Republican families need to unite and get our own Family TV network geared towards channels with no sex and violence. Also, a news cast that informs of facts of all candidates on both sides and reports positive things going on in different communities around the USA.

It is disgusting how the Democrats can make racist and shovanistic remarks about Govenor Palin and then crusify Republicans for disagreeing with them.

I do not acknowledge Obama as my President because he’s not. Yet. Bush is still in office and until he leaves, I will not jump on board the Obama train. He and his supporters have treated George Bush like trash and I will not be a hypocrite and side with these people that are hell bent on destroying America. I figure we have a couple of months of knowing we are being protected; after that we’re on our own.

I know Obama will be my President but I can honestly say that those six syllables will never come out of my mouth.

All I can say is “give him some time”. Granted, I was extremely unhappy at both the 2000 and 2004 results and, well, not all (but most) of my worst fears about a Bush presidency were realized. I don’t think I need to elaborate on the current mess we’re in (domestically or internationally). Seriously though, with Obama, I’m not really understanding why the right is so upset… What are you so afraid of? Besides his supposedly nefarious “associations” that were discussed ad nauseum on Fox News (of which most have been discounted), the man has some pretty good ideas about fixing the country’s problems. Isn’t that what this is supposed to be about? Fixing the economy, infrastructure improvements, health care, energy independence, restoring America’s respect in the world, etc? Replacing ideology with competence?

Try something (although I know it’ll be painful – trust me I can relate)… Do a little reading on some of his proposals. Replace the word “Obama” with “McCain”… try taking ideology out of the equation and write down your impressions (good and bad) of those proposals. Who knows; maybe you’ll surprise yourself…

*note: What disappointed you the most? The fact that Busg kept us safe from another attack when everyone thought it would happen? Or maybe that he actually did take down the Al Qaeda leadership in Iraq? Or that he took down a brutal dictator that left mass graves of women and children and replaced him with a Democracy in the Middle East where none thought possible. Or was it because he was right about the surge and we are bringing our boys home in victory? Or was it that he kept this economy going even though we had the biggest attack on our soil and the biggest natrual disaster as well? Was it because he actually kept his promises? He cut taxes and kept us safe. I doubt you are disappointed in what I am disappointed in him about. He didn’t veto pork laden bills. He let liberals (and Republicans sadly) spend like drunken sailors. He funded social programs trying to compromise with Democrats who never would give him credit. He was gracious to his enemies like Pelosi and Reid who said things unworthy of any leadership. But worst of all he let the media define him and didn’t defend all the good he did. So people like you believe that this fight we fought was worthless instead of the great victory that it was. What scares me is that I believe Obama said what he had to get elected. I don’t believe he will cut taxes on anyone. He will find an excuse to raise it on everyone. His past spoke of his beliefs, but no one was interested in that. They were only interested in the pretty words of a gifted politician-TexasSparkle

I believe that liberals read and listen to conservatives (in addition to those who espouse their own views) because they desire an awareness of opinions that are different than theirs. That is why I read your blog and occasionally listen to conservative radio. Intermixed with the blaming and hand wringing there are good ideas. I certainly learn more from those that I disagree with. I like to think that there are also conservatives that are open minded enough to consider liberal positions.

*note: I would hope that that is true. But if you could read some of my comments you would see that it is clear they have no interest in conservative opinions. They are only interested in being acting like grade schoolers and calling names and hurling insults. It’s sad.-TexasSparkle

Good post glennkoks. I agree with most of that other than the rock bottom comment. I don’t think they are at rock bottom, they’ve just got through a bad stretch the last 4 years under Bush leadership. I think that is far from rock bottom though, it could be much worse.

Why is it surprising that someone would read a blog that didn’t agree with their opinion? Do you only read things that reinforce your opinion? You’re not likely to learn much that way. But to answer your original question, should you care? President GW Bush was fond of saying “elections have consequences”. And one of the consequences of this election is that people you disagree with will now be making the decisions for the country. If you can only care about your country when the government is in complete agreement with you, then you’re going to have to go hide somewhere. If you believe the propaganda and transparent lies that were told about President Obama during the campaign, and think that that is what kind of president he’s going to be, then perhaps you should go into hiding for some time.

*note: You listen to Walton and Johnson and you read me. I don’t get people like you. If we drive you so crazy why do you come here? Is some evil Republican forcing your eyes open and making you read me, much like Clockwork Orange? I think there must be some part of you that really wants to change and be right. It’s the only explanation…;-)

You cannot keep from caring. That is what we do. We must be around to pick up the pieces when the young idealists discover the reality of Obama.

We must be here for the yound people. They will soon discover that uninformed and ill advised idealism will have failed our country. It is passion without substance. Then they will understand that you must always choose substance over style.

We will all learn from the experience. I am a patriot through and through. We will fare better than Obama. We will see what the angry left will do to him if they do not get what they want. We will see the malaise settle in on those who thought they would get from those that had more. We will all see that campaign promises of bipartianship, etc. will evaporate-and it is already heppening. We will learn that a man’s color doesn’t automatically make him a champion for those of the same color. We will see a man who has made promises suffer attach when he cannot or will not keep them

Hang in there. It is our job.

Most of all we will not demonize him to get our party elected like the left did for Bush.

The sun will still shine. Maybe after this term both conservatives and liberals will see some common ground. We both will have experienced our worst case scenarios. We on the left survived ours, our friends on the right will too. If some liberals seem smug and crass, they don’t speak for the majority. Just as smug and crass conservatives don’t speak for he majority. The problem is one of respecting dissent.

Dissent is a crucial right in this country. Yet since the invasion of Iraq, those that disagreed have openly been branded traitors by conservative media, blog-postings (not yours), and by President Bush (“You’re with us or against us.”) The world is neither black, white, nor even shades of grey. It is exceedingly complex and requires well-thought out actions. This administration has not given that impression. We’ll see about Obama.

Keep at it though. I, as an Evil_Liberal, enjoy your blog because you sometimes make me laugh, sometimes make me angry, but you always make me think.

“I do not acknowledge Obama as my President because he’s not. Yet. Bush is still in office and until he leaves, I will not jump on board the Obama train. He and his supporters have treated George Bush like trash and I will not be a hypocrite and side with these people that are hell bent on destroying America.”

I voted for Bush twice and Obama this time around. My mother, a bunch of friends, and a lot of my family did the same. Not all of Obama’s supporters have treated George Bush like trash. Some of us were just tired of his policies.

Sparkle, now you just keep your paws to yourself. Bill Whittle is my new crush and you can’t have him. Hot, hunky, incredibly sexy and and liberty-lovin’ conservative. . .I just hope he’s not GAY.

Walton and Johnson *used* to be very funny but I quit listening to them about a year ago. Being from NOLA myself, I remember when they started broadcasting on WQUE in about 1982 or 1983, I think. They used to be more humor, less politics, but they’ve become rude, insulting and *not* funny, sound like just about every other AM political show with some comic stuff thrown in.

That’s absolutely amazing! The conservatives aren’t depressed about electing Obama. We are depressed because so many people are so very, very blind to the truth about Obama and his buddies. There’s no way to justify his association with radical Marxists like Ayers.

We are confused in how to deal with the wasted souls that now constitute the majority. They cannot be swayed by facts. They’re more likely to be swayed by Oprah or by some Hollywood fantasy!

Real life includes dealing with things that aren’t pretty. There are bad people who want to hurt you and sometimes it’s necessary to go to war to keep them in check.

I’m perfectly willing to go on fighting the good fight for the “Shining City on the Hill”. I’m just not sure where that fight is anymore.

Just read richard’s post. It was rather forceful, but he did make a statement that makes me wonder.

“If you believe the propaganda and transparent lies that were told about President Obama during the campaign, and think that that is what kind of president he’s going to be, then perhaps you should go into hiding for some time.”

Lies were told about both candidates. It is also the fact that much of what was said about Obama was the truth. What unsettles us is that he has little record and what he has is not comfortable, to say the least. That should unsettle us all.

Most of his supporters, that I have experienced, will never discuss his record on taxes, socialism and abortion. They will never say that “it is alright with them.” I hope he will be a great president, but there is nothing he has done that merits that confidence at this point.

Obama is a great and persuasive speaker and his followers hung on every word. Evidently, you can campaign with rhetoric, but you cannot govern with it. So, richard, what of his promises do you agree with?

Ah, Sparkle, still a devoted fan of President Bush? His approval rating is around 28%, so I guess you think the other 72% are wrong or deluded? Tsk, tsk…hide your head in the sand, cry foul over President-elect Obama winning, and call President-elect Obama a Marxist all you want…please, because it is just this kind of disconnect from reality, this 100 percent personal denouncement of the other side, that has brought about a true SURGE, the one that came about at the polls on Tuesday and placed Barack Obama in the white house to be President Obama in January.

Oh, by the way, since we “liberated” Iraq, and it is such a worthwhile thing for us to do, where shall we send our military to liberate suffering people next? Which country is next on your hit parade? Hmm? Such a nice after the fact delusion…come one, address this: What do you say to the fact that our invasion was NOT based on liberating Iraq, but on finding and destroying Weapons of Mass Destruction that did NOT exist?

Waiting for your answer,

Joseph

*note: And who has a LOWER approval rating than Bush? The Democratically lead Congress. You know, the ones who also voted going to war and seeking WMD’s. I’m not having that argument again because you have bought the left’s view hook, line, and sinker. And that’s fine. You go on thinking that we would have been kept safe if Bush hadn’t done what he did. Just keep on believing it in your nice safe world. I’m not the one who is delusional-TexasSparkle

Hey Sparkle – Don’t worry – we Texians always can opt out of a sinking ship if that happens. We were a republic before and, if necessary, we can be one again. After all, we are the 11th largest economy in the world. We don’t even need to fight! Look to the examples of Ukraine and Georgia – they went their way and mother Russia went hers, albeit rather grumpily. If the new powers that be give the new president dictatorial powers (just like Santa Ana got a few years back) we know how to respond in Texas!

Cheer up Sparkle. Life goes on. Most of the stuff on TV has been trash for quite awhile. I did start watching 90210. Surprisingly, it’s actually decent. Besides you have 4 years to do all the bashing you want and the Republicans don’t have to be accountable for anything. They can just blame Obama and the Democrats. Walton and Johnson should be a riot for the next four years and heaven forbid Obama actually is a good president you might get chance to hear Rush have a stroke on the air. See there are plenty of things to look forward to.

*note: Well that was unacceptable and rude. Why is it that you on the left think it’s ok to make death jokes about us, but if one makes one about you guys, or heave forbide, Obama, then it’s hatemongering.-TexasSparkle

Sparkle, I had written a long response to your earlier comments on my post. But you’re in pain right now. I know exactly how you feel and the last thing I would have wanted to hear after the 2000 election was what a “good job” Bush was going to do… while I disagree with you completely, I’m not going to rub it in. Rent a movie. Treat yourself to something fun. Trust me, it’ll get better.

I have to agree, those six syllables will never leave my mouth. I just hope that we are wrong, and that this country isn’t about to be destroyed from within. I really don’t want to live in a socialist country!

BO hasn’t yet accomplished anything, so how can he be considered the savior of the world? He hasn’t fixed global warming, the energy crises, the economic crisis, healthcare, heart disease, aids, terrorism, wars, or well…anything.

And yet they call him a messiah, or world president. He hasn’t even walked on water.

Also notice that he doesn’t seem to discourage the worship. Does anyone else find this odd?

Sparkle, As a past voter for Jimmy Carterbecause of the failures on the GOP, people basically voted Against THE REPUBLICANS in 1976 for an inexperienced unknown who ran a good campaign but proved unable to deliver any of his platform and failed miserably on both international affairs and economic fronts. That was when I became a Republican. As Annie said “The sun will come out tomorrow” BHO’s rhetoric must now be matched with actions. His “centrist” posturing will be forgotten when his administration takes over. That is when those who have tried to talk about his RECORD will have their opportunity. Let’s not imitate so many of the Dems who mocked threatened, and derided GOP President elects they disagreed with. Liberal/socialistic policies don’t work, just hold onto that historical fact and wait.

Did you see his pathetic performance with his press conference today? He was hemming and hawing and even insulted Nancy Reagan. This guy will be a disaster. Looking forward to 2012 already, “The End of an Error”.

Glad to hear you listen to W&J and other Talk Radio. Its amazing how alot of people seem to think they know whats going on in Politics, yet they don’t listen to any talk radio, and can only put down talk Radio, I have heard they watch Cpan , lol, its alittle late at that point. There was one LIB on another Chron forum that didn’t even know who Hannity was, but was excited about those “free stimulus Checks” In other words pretty Clueless. We have a Democraticly led Congress with a 9% approval rating and they choose to empower them more? I searched for about a year an half thru the liberal bloggs and never found anything by anyone that made sense, other then bring the troops home. All Its been One big Product Push, and 50% of the American people bought into it, without any of them knowing what it taste like. Even the hard core facts couldn’t stop this guy. I personally believe its been a conspiracy to be able to bring in the NAU, and their not allowed to talk about that on Talk Radio. As for finding things odd as conroebird put it, you might want to google NAU or the Amero, but if this actually happens, Obama will be the last thing on your mind.

I would say you could watch The Shield but its in final three episodes to it grand finally, its crazy right now, but may not be your thing.

Geez. Get over it. Fighting & whining over the next 4 years will do no good for our country at a time when your BELOVED George W. messed it up. You have every right to speak up for what you believe in, but don’t try to hijack what the Dems will try in rescuing this country.Have a little Faith in the other party for once! If you truly loved this country and not stuck in your ideologies, then you would support your new President too.

Sparkle–I recommend watching Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares at noon on channel 226 (BBC Comcast). It’s a hoot! Ramsay is a foul-mouthed Brit that visits failing British restaurants and attempts to get them on the road to success. He does so by screaming and hollering at the owners, cooks and staff. It’s sort of like a restaurant version of WWE.

“It means realizing that this same media can bribe state employees to get any kind of personal information on any of us and display it ”

it takes two to tango and bribe, did you complain the State Dept leaks, leak of Valerie Plume info.

the leak of his illegal immigrant family member?

” It means that the momentous incredible fact that the surge worked and we decimated Al Qaeda ”

The surge had little to do with the “victory” better intel, better tatics, getting the Sunni tribes to turn againist them, Al Quida as hurt themselves with their indiscriment killings. But then again there were no Al Quida in Iraq prior to the war.

and did not Karl Rove just call BO a centerist, have you researched his first appointment. For you followers that still believe the BO is a Muslim, Rep. Rahm Emanuel is Jewish a big Israel support, not sure why a Muslim would appoint a pro Israel person to be his chief of staff, and really since Rahm father was a member of the pre-Isreal resistance.

and for you followers who cannot say BO is their president, you sould as silly as the stupid libs who said if Bush won they would leave the country.

What will you do? I suggest that you stop paying taxes, because as the head of the gov. you can no longer support the Gov.

for those who want TX to leave, start a ballot vote to make it happen, or just go away.

and for the unfair press coverage? the same independent coverage say the Kerry had the same negative coverage level during his run, appearently it has to do with a losing Candidate generating bad news and it feeds on itself.

As for Sarah, the stuff that was withheld to after the election as it was off the record from McCain camp of course is pretty damning, and even Palin tried to brush some of it off. Not knowing the countries in North America, did not know basic civic lessons, not knowing Africa is not a country. I am not sure if she can recover enough, she may have become “Dan Qualye” of this cycle. Unless BO stumbles really badly and cannot recover the Repub party is in for a long winter. The base is shrinking and aging. The reglion hold is weakening. They will need to appeal more the Jindal crowd, he should be out front on the party, not Palin.

As for the approval rating of Congress, both parties are rated low, however, look back two years when it was a Repub it still had approval ratings of 20%. “But then, in mid 2003, about the time the Republican Congress was getting ready to send its second budget to a Republican President, the numbers started to fall. From 50% approval in June of 2003 approval of Congress fell to 21% in December of 2006. There was brief period of euphoria (on the part of the Democrats) in January 2007, where approval rose to 35% and rose again to 37% in February 2007 and then it fell back quite quickly as everyone realized nothing had changed.” http://wheelgun.blogspot.com/2007/08/congress-approval-rating-historical.html

REgarding Joseph’s comment about Bush’s approval rating. TXSparkle is right, Congress’ is even lower. However, as usualy, there is more to the story and maybe Joseph doesn’t realize this, but when Harry Truman left office, his approval rating was 22%. Guess what? Today, he is considered one of hte best presidents of last century. The impacts of a president and his achievements while in office are sometimes not realized until much, much later. So its disingenious to call BUsh a bad president right now, we don’t know how history will judge him. I for one will think history will vindicate him. His presidency was marked by an assault on America, the dot com bomb. He has protected us from another attack on American soil and we enjoyed a robust economy while under his watch. But seriously, it feels like from reading a lot of comments on the Chronicle over the past few years (and reading the press’ stories), that I must be the only one who prospered during Bush’s presidency. Surely, I’m not alone.

Nonetheless, look at this way TXSparkle. Obama had 10 times the money as McCain, McCain suffered from severe brand issues (the Republican party), tthe press was obvioulsy in the tank for OBama (this has been shown in studies done), YET, even though McCain lost, he didn’t lose by a huge margin. That is telling (I’m talking about the popular vote as well as most swing states were fairly close). If McCain didn’t have ALL of those disadvantages, he probalby could have won. But Republicans do what Republicans do best – regroup once defeated. It took the dems over 10 years to regroup and get control of the Congress. Republicans did it in 4 years in the 90′s. Worry not, this in the long run will be good for the Republican party.

regarding Palin – this is expected. The GOP will be undergoing some changes, and Palin is a threat to some on the direction of the party. McCain aides and operatives want to make the republicans less conservative and more like democrats and they see Palin as a threat of making the GOP conservative. This would be a mistake. We need to get back to our conservative roots. The media will make it seem like conservatism is dead, its not. Republicans lost (and Obama won) largely b/c Republicans lost their bearings, plain and simple. This election was punishment to the Republicans for straying. Some of the blame is wrong – like the economic state today, that’s not the republicans fault. But many republicans became big spenders instead of fiscal conservatives. I don’t like the results much more than you, but this will be good for the party (and the country) long term.

I’ve always been surprised at how readily people have dismissed Obama as an empty suit who just gives a good speech. Let alone how “radical left” he is. All indications have been that he is a very shrewd guy, extremely methodical and focused, knows how to recognize and hire good people, and has an enormous amount of discipline that he enforces on others. That is not a figurehead.

I could care less about his speeches, none of which I have ever watched (I finally saw part of a clip of one Obama speech or another a couple months ago, and never watched his convention speech or any of the others). But his organizational and managerial skill is impressive – no matter whether one likes him or not. I could never understand how people failed to see it, because a campaign like that doesn’t just “happen” on its own, let alone stay cohesive on its own. The sad thing is despite their levels of experience in government, both Hillary and McCain demonstrated that they both were not as good managers, and even the people below them who were considerably more experienced at running high level campaigns than Axelrod or Plouffe couldn’t hold it together or perform well as a team by themselves.

Obama is a very shrewd, very deliberate guy. His appointment of Rahm Emmanuel is evidence of that, despite everyone clamoring for him to make his first appointment pick the person who will be Treasury Secretary. Instead, he indicates he wants to carefully consider the latter (he’s already got someone in mind, of course) and has put Congress on notice that he’s going to control the agenda.

There have also been articles that have pointed out that BOTH Parties have shifted to the right. Many of the seats the Dems picked up are centrists who are replacing ideologically similar moderate Republicans. The remaining GOP members are the hardcore base, and the Dems have been diluted by increasing the number of Blue Dogs who have already signalled that they’re not willing to get behind a Congressional agenda that’s too liberal for their constituents. Likewise, Harry Reid has already indicated the Senate will check any House proposals that are not palatable enough.

I highly recommend you and others to read through the excellent 7-part series done by Newsweek from inside the three major campaigns (Obama, McCain, and Hillary). Some of this has been known before, but it gives a good look at how the campaigns evolved and dealt with problems, many of which were self-created or avoidable. It belies the assumption that experience alone matters. Aptitude can trump experience when the experience doesn’t lend itself to management ability, but instead is focused on understanding procedural manouvering from within the Senate.

Obama’s opponents and detractors have vastly underestimated him to their detriment. If you plan to oppose someone, it does no service to dismiss them. You have to understand where they are strong and why that is so. Hillary’s and McCain’s failure to recognize that reminds me so much of the arrogant contempt many large businesses hold for upstart competitors that end up winning precisely because they’re very, very good at what they do. Good examples are the domestic auto industry versus the Japanese, IBM versus Microsoft, and the list goes on. Smart, young competitors prefer to be underestimated, of course. It makes their job much easier to defeat complacency.

Posters: Continuing to call Barack Obama a Marxist and unpatriotic is not going to make it true. He is a patriotic American who has made the best of being American and risen to the highest office in the land. Unless you are a racist, you will admit that a person of color becoming president is in itself a great achievement for our country.

Yes, Obama represents a different, more liberal viewpoint for our country but that is not socialist or Marxist. Any form of taxation is spreading the wealth. My money is combined with everyone else to fund the things we need in common and some things that may benefit some more than others in the hope that these things eventually contribute to all of our well being as Americans. He loves our country, is intelligent, and will do the right thing for us.

I will not accept the argument that George Bush did everything right. He did a few things right immediately after 9-11. It was Bush and a Republican controlled congress that ran up the deficit. His philosophy is that trickle down economics works however, time and time again, this has proved to be wrong. The economy has grown the most during democratic administrations. The two biggest losses in the past century were Hoover and now G W Bush. These are facts and lead to the old saying: “If you want to live like a Republican, vote Democratic”

*note: I have never called Obama a Marxist or unpatriotic and I have acknowledged what an historic thing it is for a black man to be President many times.-TexasSparkle

Sparkle, when I read your blog today, it was as if I had written it myself. Thanks for putting into words the fears that those of us who care so much about our country are having. I too have quit watching or reading political news as it is so depressing. I know I will return because I do care so much. That’s why I had to see what you had to say today. Thanks for being my voice! And may God bless George Bush!

Come on, post my question, and give an answer. It is NOT a vulgar, rude, nor even mean. It is a serious question, based on the belief that we were and are acting as liberators in Iraq.

If we are there as liberators, then where next should we, the United States of America, go next to liberate oppressed people? Where next should we send the men and women of our armed forces to conquer a standing army and then occupy a country until it can form and maintain a democratic country?

*note: Well Obama has already said he is going back into Afganistan and then to Pakistan. Maybe Dufar is next? You can ask Obama I suppose.-TexasSparkle

Party politics have brought us to this. There are good people on both sides of the aisle but that thought seems to be omitted when it comes to elections. Straight tickets pulls at the voting booth hurts our representation and divides our people and government. If the American people were truly caring about our country, our children and our grandchildren they would weigh every issue and every politician as to their worth for the betterment of our society. We the people need to do a better job governing ourselves by selecting governing bodies that represent the whole. I do not believe that one party rule from either side of the aisle is the way to run a government that should represent the majority of its people. So if we survive this malady maybe next election the people will use their common sense and loyalty to the American way of life instead of their own personal agendas.

How egregious the current tax policy can be seen, dramatically, from the single most important initiative of Mr. George W. Bush’s presidency. Elected by a minority of voters only after shenanigans in the courts, Mr. Bush insisted that what the country wanted and what the economy needed was a huge tax cut. He proposed, and then rammed through the Republican Congress, a tax bill which redistributed money from social services into the pockets of the wealthy.

The wealthiest one per cent of the population will rake in 52 per cent of the tax benefits when the cuts are fully operative. Over the course of ten years, the new tax plan will divert an astounding $500 billion out of federal coffers and into the bank accounts of those who earn over $375,000 a year. Diverting this money to the wealthy has moved the US government into deficit.

Accordingly, the president and his Republican allies in the Congress are loathe to provide money for education, housing, health care, and other services which working people and the poor depend on. Not only are the rich made richer, the poor and even the middle class will see cuts in what they receive from the government. Redistribution two ways, in a country where the disparity of wealth is already so great that in the world’s richest nation, over sixteen per cent of children live in poverty.

In the United States today, according to the authoritative publication, Business Week, the CEOs of large corporations earn, in salary and other compensation, five hundred times what their average workers make. Put in less arithmetical terms, they earn in slightly over half a day what their workers earn in an entire year. As the debacles of Enron, Worldcom, Global Crossing, Adelphia Networks and others have revealed, corporate executives have been running their companies for the sole purpose of enriching themselves. And rich they have become.

While greed has been the operative guiding principle for corporate executives – and their bankers, their accountants, their investment advisers – American workers have seen hard times. Over the last four years, a total of 2 million factory jobs have been lost – ten per cent of the manufacturing workforce, which is the best-paying sector of the American economy. The executives who reward themselves so handsomely (the CEO of pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck received over $250 million for one year’s compensation) nonetheless cry in outrage at any mention in a rise in the minimum wage, currently at $5.15 an hour.

Since 1979 the minimum wage, in inflation-adjusted dollars, has dropped 21 per cent. In the same period, corporate executives were under no such restraint: in 1980, CEOs made 45 times as much as their workers, while last year they made 531 times what their workers made.

In case you don’t know, the term “poofter” used in the comment above means “homosexual”. I don’t mind that you don’t post my comments, but try not to let your other commenters use crude slurs. This is family newspaper.

*note: I’ve never heard the term and I can’t imagine anyone would accuse Obama of being gay for heaven’s sake.-TexasSparkle

Or you can google the term yourself. Having convinced yourself that the term means what I said it meant, then you remove the post in question because it uses a term that is offensive to many people. Since you often acknowledge not posting all of what you receive, this suggests you read every one, and are therefore aware of what is in them. Given what I wrote and the fact that you posted it, you can no longer claim ignorance.

The post from 9:20 AM uses offensive language and I expect you to remove it. I do not consider this a joking matter and I am NOT being smug. This may be a reader’s blog, but there are certain editorial standards you are obligated to maintain. Allowing slurs, even if they were true, and in this case they clearly aren’t, should not be allowed.

*note: First of all, you do not tell me what to do on my own blog. Second of all that is from an urban dictionary. I’m suppose to know all the slang words for homosexual? I have removed the word, but not because of you stamping your feet, but because I have gay friends who tell me that although they aren’t offended by it, they could understand why some would be. So I do that for them, not for you.-TexasSparkle